HR Lessons Learned from Michael Scott

The world was first introduced to Michael Scott, the annoying, overly-enthusiastic, often misguided but always lovable manager on The Office, in March of 2005. Six years and over 100 episodes later, the time has come to say goodbye to Michael, as his last episode will air on April 28th. During his time on the air, Michael has greatly influenced the business world, and not just by popularizing the phrase "That's what she said." His unique and frequently problematic leadership style has taught us a number of lessons in-between all of the laughs:

1. Recognition for job performance is important, recognition for shoe color is not.




An employee will go home, and he'll tell his neighbor, "Hey, did you get an award?" And the neighbor will say, "No man. I mean, I slave all day and nobody notices me."

-Michael Scott







In the premier episode of the second season, the office holds their annual awards ceremony, "The Dundies," where employees are recognized, although not necessarily for their hard work. Instead, Pam receives the Dundie for "Whitest Sneakers" (which is actually a step up from the "Longest Engagement" award she received the previous year), Ryan is recognized as being the most attractive employee, and Kevin receives a Dundie for something terrible that happened in the bathroom.

Lesson Learned:
While Michael's idea to hold an awards ceremony is on the right track, he misses the mark when it comes to recognizing actual job performance. Recognition is the top driver of Employee Engagement; therefore, if Michael had instead recognized Ryan for quickly learning his new job duties or Pam for creating a new filing system that was much more efficient, he could have made a real difference in their work behaviors.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate (but only after decisions are official).



Michael: Listen up, everybody. We are screwed. Dunder Mifflin Scranton is being shut down.
Toby: Michael, we shouldn't be talking about this until all the decisions have been made.
Michael: You knew about this all along, didn't you?
Toby: Jan told me just a few minutes before she told you.
Michael: Traitor. You are a traitor.


There are a number of instances in the show when Michael accidently (or purposefully) lets privileged information slip before it was meant to become public. He causes employees to panic several times, including when he announces the Scranton branch is closing (even though it turns out that the Stamford branch actually closes instead) and when he and Holly announce during their performance at the company picnic that the Buffalo Branch will also be closing. The biggest panic occurs after Michael declares everyone will be out of a job after hearing Dunder Mifflin has been sold. Michael also names Dwight as his replacement before actually being promoted himself, leading to disappointment when Michael is not promoted and Dwight finds out he will not actually be getting the job.

Lesson Learned:
Communication is extremely important in the workplace. However, communicating news before it becomes official can be extremely problematic, as it creates confusion, worry, and sometimes panic among employees.

3. Respect employee privacy.




At least we put this matter to bed. That's what she said… Or he said.

-Michael Scott

Michael always makes it his business to know everything he can about his employees. While the concern he shows for his employees is great because it could create strong relationships, the information he seeks is usually not appropriate for an employer to ask.

When employees do confide in him, he is not good at keeping their secrets. In the second season, he lets it slip that Jim has a crush on Pam, which ultimately ends with Jim transferring to another branch. In the third season, Michael accidently reveals Oscar is gay, which eventually causes the company to give Oscar an extended paid vacation and a company car to make sure he does not sue.

Lesson Learned:
Michael's unfortunate habit of spilling the beans not only has a negative impact on the organization and affected employees, it also hurts the employee-manager relationship. These incidents have caused employees to lose their trust in Michael, which will obviously have a negative impact on job performance, efficiency, tenure, and Engagement.

4. Allow employees to voice opinions.




Dwight, let me explain something to you. I set the rules and you follow them. Blindly. Okay? And if you have a problem with that, then you can talk to our complaint department. It's a trash can.

-Michael Scott

When trying to impress his boss, Michael decides to have a "Suggestion Box Meeting," where he reads all of the notes in the suggestion box aloud and discusses possible changes. The thought behind this idea is excellent, as it gives employees a chance to voice their opinions and see immediate change. The execution, however, leaves something to be desired. Michael ignores relevant suggestions during the meeting, deciding the comments must be jokes, and tries to get people to confess to writing the suggestions. In addition, it is revealed that the suggestion box has been around for quite a while but Michael has never reviewed its contents, as there is a suggestion from an employee who has not worked there in years.

Lesson Learned:
Initiatives like the suggestion box are great, but if they are mishandled, employees can lose trust in management as well as any future initiatives.

5. Relationships are best left outside of the office.



Toby: You know, for your own protection, you should disclose the relationship to HR.
Michael: I bet you would love all the details, wouldn't you? Skeevy little perv.
Toby: All right, if you're having a relationship with your superior, you must disclose it.
Michael: No, no, no. I am not dating Jan. She was very clear about that. Just two like souls having a romantic time in the most romantic place on earth. Got enough, weirdo?


Michael has a tendency to mix his personal and work life, having dated both his boss, Jan, and the HR representative, Holly. While other characters on the show manage to keep their relationships appropriate in the workplace, Michael tends to display a large amount of public affection, make inappropriate comments, and allows his relationships to affect both his job performance and relationship with the company. After Jan is fired and sues Dunder Mifflin, Michael is put in the middle of the fight during his deposition, and ends up being very hurt by both the company and Jan. In addition, when Holly is transferred to another branch, it puts a rift between Michael and the company, ultimately leading to his resignation.

Lesson Learned:
The drama and stress of workplace relationships can be extremely problematic, so they should be avoided. If this is not possible, organizations should at least take the precaution Dunder Mifflin has, which requires employees to formally disclose any office relationships to Human Resources.

Interested in learning more about applying lessons from The Office to your business? Check out our webinar, "A Farewell to Michael Scott: The Blunders, Missteps, and Occasional Strategic Thinking that Influenced Employee Engagement in 'The Office'" on Thursday, April 28, 2011 from 2:00-3:00 PM CDT. To register for this webinar, click here.